title: Prevalence and patterns of cooking dinner at home in the USA: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2008.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the prevalence of cooking dinner at home in the USA and test whether home dinner preparation habits are associated with socio-economic status, race/ethnicity, country of birth and family structure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional analysis. The primary outcome, self-reported frequency of cooking dinner at home, was divided into three categories: 0-1 dinners cooked per week ('never'), 2-5 ('sometimes') and 6-7 ('always'). We used bivariable and multivariable regression analyses to test for associations between frequency of cooking dinner at home and factors of interest.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample consisted of 10 149 participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Americans reported cooking an average of five dinners per week; 8 % never, 43 % sometimes and 49 % always cooked dinner at home. Lower household wealth and educational attainment were associated with a higher likelihood of either always or never cooking dinner at home, whereas wealthier, more educated households were more likely to sometimes cook dinner at home (P < 0·05). Black households cooked the fewest dinners at home (mean = 4·4, 95 % CI 4·2, 4·6). Households with foreign-born reference persons cooked more dinners at home (mean = 5·8, 95 % CI 5·7, 6·0) than households with US-born reference persons (mean = 4·9, 95 % CI 4·7, 5·1). Households with dependants cooked more dinners at home (mean = 5·2, 95 % CI 5·1, 5·4) than households without dependants (mean = 4·6, 95 % CI 4·3, 5·0).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Home dinner preparation habits varied substantially with socio-economic status and race/ethnicity, associations that likely will have implications for designing and appropriately tailoring interventions to improve home food preparation practices and promote healthy eating.
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of General Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th St. & Civic Center Blvd, CHOP North Room 1416, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Senbagam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Virudachalam
authors.affiliation: 2 Division of General Internal Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Judith A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: 2 Division of General Internal Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Michael O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Harhay
authors.affiliation: 2 Division of General Internal Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Polsky
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of General Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th St. & Civic Center Blvd, CHOP North Room 1416, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Feudtner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044383:Black People; D003296:Cooking; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D004522:Educational Status; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005190:Family; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D062407:Meals / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult; D001741:Black or African American